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At least 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Dark energy survey: Modeling strategy for multiprobe cluster cosmology and validation for the full six-year dataset

Here, we introduce an updated To&Krause2021 model for joint analyses of cluster abundances and large-scale two-point correlations of weak lensing and galaxy and cluster clustering (termed CL+3×2 pt analysis) and validate that this model meets the systematic accuracy requirements of analyses with the statistical precision of the final Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 6 (Y6) dataset. The validation program consists of two distinct approaches, (i) identification of modeling and parametrization choices and impact studies using simulated analyses with each possible model misspecification and (ii) end-to-end validation using mock catalogs from customized Cardinal simulations that incorporate realistic galaxy populations and DES-Y6-specific galaxy and cluster selection and photometric redshift modeling, which are the key observational systematics. In combination, these validation tests indicate that the model presented here meets the accuracy requirements of DES-Y6 for CL+3×2 pt based on a large list of tests for known systematics. In addition, we also validate that the model is sufficient for several other data combinations: the CL+GC subset of this data vector (excluding galaxy–galaxy lensing and cosmic shear two-point statistics) and the CL+3×2 pt+BAO+SN (combination of CL+3×2 pt with the previously published Y6 DES baryonic acoustic oscillation and Y5 supernovae data).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cosmology From CMB Lensing and Delensed EE Power Spectra Using 2019-2020 SPT-3G Polarization Data

From CMB polarization data alone we reconstruct the CMB lensing power spectrum, comparable in overall constraining power to previous temperature-based reconstructions, and an unlensed E -mode power spectrum, with clear detections of the third through tenth acoustic peaks. The observations, taken in 2019 and 2020 with the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and the SPT-3G camera, cover 1500 deg 2 at 95, 150, and 220 GHz with arcminute resolution and roughly 4.9 µ K-arcmin coadded noise in polarization. The power spectrum estimates, together with systematic parameter estimates and a joint covariance matrix, follow from a Bayesian analysis using the Marginal Unbiased Score Expansion (MUSE) method. The E -mode spectrum at ℓ > 2000 and lensing spectrum at L > 350 are the most precise to date. Assuming the ΛCDM model, and using only these SPT data and priors on τ and absolute calibration from Planck, we find H 0 = 66.81 ± 0.81 km/s/Mpc, comparable in precision to the Planck determination and in 5.4 σ tension with the most precise H 0 inference derived via the distance ladder. We also find S 8 ≡ σ 8 (Ω m /0.3) 0.5 = 0.850 ± 0.017, providing further independent evidence of a slight tension with low-redshift structure probes. The ΛCDM model provides a good simultaneous fit to the combined Planck, ACT, and SPT data, and thus passes a powerful test. Combining these CMB datasets with BAO observations, we explore extensions to the ΛCDM model. We find that the effective number of neutrino species, spatial curvature, and primordial helium fraction are consistent with standard model values, and that the 95% confidence upper limit on the neutrino mass sum is 0.075 eV, close to the minimum sum expected from observations of solar and atmospheric neutrino oscillations. The SPT data are consistent with the somewhat weak (< 3 σ ) preference for excess lensing power seen in Planck and ACT data relative to predictions of the ΛCDM model given the combined Planck, ACT, and BAO data sets. Finally, we also detect at greater than 3 σ the influence of non-linear evolution in the CMB lensing power spectrum and discuss it in the context of the S 8 tension. Forthcoming SPT-3G analyses will feature deeper and wider observations in temperature and polarization, providing even tighter constraints and more powerful tests of the ΛCDM model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Charged loops at the cosmological collider with chemical potential

Cosmological collider physics allows the detection of heavy particles at inflationary scales through their imprints on primordial non-Gaussianities. We study the chemical potential mechanism applied to a pair of charged scalars. We analytically evaluate the resulting one-loop contribution to the bispectrum, using the spectral decomposition. In this way we are able to determine the parametric dependencies for both the signal and the background. We show that a signal strength ${f}_{\text{NL}}\sim \mathcal{O}(0.01)$ can be obtained within theoretical control, potentially reachable by 21 cm tomography. As an application we consider the colored Higgs bosons in SU(5) supersymmetric orbifold grand unification with masses M ≲ 10$^{15}$ GeV.

Bodas, Arushi [Chicago U., EFI; Fermilab] (ORCID:0↗
DOE OSTI2024

Stable vacua with realistic phenomenology and cosmology in heterotic M-theory satisfying Swampland conjectures

We recently described a protocol for computing the potential energy in heterotic M-theory for the dilaton, complex structure and Kähler moduli. This included the leading order non-perturbative contributions to the complex structure, gaugino condensation and worldsheet instantons assuming a hidden sector that contains an anomalous U(1) structure group embedded in E8. In this paper, we elucidate, in detail, the mathematical and computational methods required to utilize this protocol. These methods are then applied to a realistic heterotic M-theory model, the B – L MSSM, whose observable sector is consistent with all particle physics requirements. Within this context, it is shown that the dilaton and universal moduli can be completely stabilized at values compatible with every phenomenological and mathematical constraint — as well as with ΛCDM cosmology. We also show that the heterotic M-theory vacua are consistent with all well-supported Swampland conjectures based on considerations of string theory and quantum gravity, and we discuss the implications of dark energy theorems for compactified theories.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Testing the parametric model for self-interacting dark matter using matched halos in cosmological simulations

Here, we systemically evaluate the performance of the self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) halo model proposed in Ref.Yang et al. (2023) with matched halos from high-resolution cosmological CDM and SIDM simulations. The model incorporates SIDM effects along mass evolution histories of CDM halos and it is applicable to both isolated halos and subhalos. We focus on the accuracy of the model in predicting halo density profiles at z = 0 and the evolution of maximum circular velocity. We find the model predictions agree with the simulations within 10%–50% for most of the simulated (sub)halos, 50%–100% for extreme cases. This indicates that the model effectively captures the gravothermal evolution of the halos with very strong, velocity-dependent self-interactions. For an example application, we apply the model to study the impact of various SIDM scenarios on strong lensing perturber systems, demonstrating its utility in predicting SIDM effects for small-scale structure analyses. Our findings confirm that the model is an effective tool for mapping CDM halos into their SIDM counterparts.

Yang, Daneng [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing↗
DOE OSTI2024

A road map to cosmological parameter analysis with third-order shear statistics: III. Efficient estimation of third-order shear correlation functions and an application to the KiDS-1000 data

Context. Third-order lensing statistics contain a wealth of cosmological information that is not captured by second-order statistics. However, the computational effort it takes to estimate such statistics in forthcoming stage IV surveys is prohibitively expensive. Aims. We derive and validate an efficient estimation procedure for the three-point correlation function (3PCF) of polar fields such as weak lensing shear. We then use our approach to measure the shear 3PCF and the third-order aperture mass statistics on the KiDS-1000 survey. Methods We constructed an efficient estimator for third-order shear statistics that builds on the multipole decomposition of the 3PCF. We then validated our estimator on mock ellipticity catalogs obtained from N -body simulations. Finally, we applied our estimator to the KiDS-1000 data and presented a measurement of the third-order aperture statistics in a tomographic setup. Results. Our estimator provides a speedup of a factor of ∼100–1000 compared to the state-of-the-art estimation procedures. It is also able to provide accurate measurements for squeezed and folded triangle configurations without additional computational effort. We report a significant detection of tomographic third-order aperture mass statistics in the KiDS-1000 data (S/N = 6.69). Conclusions. Our estimator will make it computationally feasible to measure third-order shear statistics in forthcoming stage IV surveys. Furthermore, it can be used to construct empirical covariance matrices for such statistics.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cosmology before noon with multiple galaxy populations

Near-future facilities observing the high-redshift universe (2 < z < 5) will have an opportunity to take advantage of "multi-tracer" cosmology by observing multiple tracers of the matter density field: Lyman alpha emitters (LAE), Lyman break galaxies (LBG), and CMB lensing κ. Here, in this work we use Fisher forecasts to investigate the effect of multi-tracers on next-generation facilities. In agreement with previous work, we show that multiple tracers improve constraints primarily from degeneracy breaking, instead of the traditional intuition of sample variance cancellation. Then, we forecast that for both BBN and CMB primary priors, the addition of lensing and LAEs onto a LBG-only sample will gain 25% or more in many parameters, with the largest gains being factor of ~ 10 improvement for f EDE . We include a preliminary approach towards modelling the impact of radiative transfer (RT) on forecasts involving LAEs by introducing a simplified model at linear theory level. Our results, albeit preliminary, show that while RT influences LAE-only forecasts strongly, its effect on composite multi-tracer forecasts is limited.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dark radiation isocurvature from cosmological phase transitions

Abstract Cosmological first order phase transitions are typically associated with physics beyond the Standard Model, and thus of great theoretical and observational interest. Models of phase transitions where the energy is mostly converted to dark radiation can be constrained through limits on the dark radiation energy density (parameterized by ΔN eff ). However, the current constraint (ΔN eff < 0.3) assumes the perturbations are adiabatic. We point out that a broad class of non-thermal first order phase transitions that start during inflation but do not complete until after reheating leave a distinct imprint in the scalar field from bubble nucleation. Dark radiation inherits the perturbation from the scalar field when the phase transition completes, leading to large-scale isocurvature that would be observable in the CMB. We perform a detailed calculation of the isocurvature power spectrum and derive constraints on ΔN eff based on CMB+BAO data. For a reheating temperature ofT rh and a nucleation temperatureT * , the constraint is approximately ΔN eff ≲ 10 -5 (T * /T rh ) -4 , which can be much stronger than the adiabatic result. We also point out that since perturbations of dark radiation have a non-Gaussian origin, searches for non-Gaussianity in the CMB could place a stringent bound on ΔN eff as well.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: DR6 maps

We present Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Data Release 6 (DR6) maps of the Cosmic Microwave Background temperature and polarization anisotropy at arcminute resolution over three frequency bands centered on 98, 150 and 220 GHz. The maps are based on data collected with the AdvancedACT camera over the period 2017–2022 and cover 19,000 square degrees with a median combined depth of 10 μK arcmin. We describe the instrument, mapmaking and map properties and illustrate them with a number of figures and tables.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Lyman- α forest from LBGs: First 3D correlation measurement with DESI and prospects for cosmology

The Lyman-α (Lyα) forest is a key tracer of large-scale structure at redshifts z > 2, traditionally studied using the spectra of luminous but relatively rare quasars. In this work, we explore the viability of using the fainter yet significantly more abundant Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) as alternative background sources for Lyα forest studies. We analyze 4,151 Lyα forest skewers extracted from LBG spectra obtained in the DESI pilot surveys conducted in the COSMOS and XMM-LSS fields. From this dataset, we present the first measurement of the Lyα forest auto-correlation function derived exclusively from LBG spectra, probing comoving separations up to 48 h -1 Mpc at an effective redshift of z eff = 2.70. The measured LBG Lyα forest auto-correlation is consistent with that derived from DESI DR2 quasar Lyα forest spectra at a comparable redshift, validating the use of LBGs as reliable background sources for Lyα forest analyses. In addition, we measure the cross-correlation between the LBG Lyα forest and the positions of 13,362 galaxies, demonstrating that this observable serves as a sensitive diagnostic for assessing the precision and accuracy of galaxy redshift estimates, and for identifying and correcting systematic offsets. Finally, using both synthetic LBG spectra and Fisher matrix forecasts, we show that a future wide-area survey covering ∼5,000 deg 2 , targeting 1,000 LBGs per square degree at signal-to-noise levels comparable to our sample, could enable LBG-based Lyα forest baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements with expected uncertainties of σ α ISO = 0.4% (isotropic) and σ α AP = 1.3% (Alcock-Paczynski). This performance is further enhanced when combining the BAO analysis with a Lyα forest Full Shape (FS) approach, yielding a predicted uncertainty of σ α ISO FS = 0.6%. These results open a new avenue for precision cosmology at high redshift using the Lyα forest in dense LBG samples.

Lyman alpha forest↗
DOE OSTI2025

FORECASTOR – II. Simulating galaxy surveys with the Cosmological Advanced Survey Telescope for Optical and UV Research

The Cosmological Advanced Survey Telescope for Optical and UV Research (CASTOR) is a planned flagship space telescope, covering the blue-optical and UV part of the spectrum. Here, we introduce the CASTOR image simulator, a python GalSim package-based script capable of generating mock CASTOR images from an input catalogue. We generate example images from the CASTOR Wide, Deep, and Ultra-Deep surveys using simulated lightcones from the Santa Cruz semi-analytic model. We make predictions for the performance of these surveys by comparing galaxies that are extracted from each image using Source Extractor to the input catalogue. We find that the Wide, Deep, and Ultra-Deep surveys will be 75 per cent complete for point sources down to $\sim 27$, 29, and 30 mag, respectively, in the UV, u, and g filters, with the UV-split and u-split filters reaching a shallower depth. With a large area of $\sim 2200$ deg$^2$, the Wide survey will detect hundreds of millions of galaxies out to $z\sim 4$, mostly with $M_\ast \gtrsim 10^{9}\,{\rm M}_{\odot }$. The Ultra-Deep survey will probe to $z\sim 5$, detecting galaxies with $M_\ast \gtrsim 10^{7}{\rm M}_{\odot }$. These galaxy samples will enable precision measurements of the distribution of star formation in the cosmic web, connecting the growth of stellar mass to the assembly of dark matter haloes over two thirds of the history of the Universe, and other core goals of CASTOR’s legacy surveys. These image simulations and the tools developed to generate them will be a vital planning tool to estimate CASTOR’s performance and iterate the telescope and survey designs prior to launch.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Joint modelling of astrophysical systematics for cosmology with LSST cosmic shear

ABSTRACT We present a novel framework for jointly modelling the weak lensing source galaxy redshift distribution and the intrinsic alignment (IA) of galaxies through a shared luminosity function (LF). In the context of a Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Year 1 and Year 10 cosmic shear analysis, we show that our novel approach produces cosmological parameter constraints which are comparable to standard methods, while offering more physical insight into IA and selection effects. We clarify the relationship between individual parameters of a Schechter LF and the redshift distribution of a magnitude-limited sample, showing the consequences of marginalizing over these parameters when modelling IAs in standard cosmic shear analyses. We explore the impact of the shape of the LF on the cosmic shear data vector, and we outline the potential of this method to naturally model selection functions in redshift distribution estimation. Although this work focuses on LSST cosmic shear, the proposed joint modelling framework is broadly applicable to weak lensing surveys.

Šarčević, Nikolina (ORCID:0000000173016415)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evaluating quenching in cosmological simulations of galaxy formation with spectral covariance in the optical window

ABSTRACT Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations provide valuable insights on galaxy evolution when coupled with observational data. Comparisons with real galaxies are typically performed via scaling relations of the observables. Here, we follow an alternative approach based on the spectral covariance in a model-independent way. We build upon previous work by Sharbaf et al. that studied the covariance of high-quality SDSS (Sloan Digital Sky Survey) continuum-subtracted spectra in a relatively narrow range of velocity dispersion ($\sigma \in [100,150]$ km s$^{-1}$). Here, the same analysis is applied to synthetic data from the eagle and IllustrisTNG100 simulations, to assess the ability of these runs to mimic real galaxies. The real and simulated spectra are consistent regarding spectral covariance, although with subtle differences that can inform the implementation of subgrid physics. Spectral fitting done a posteriori on stacks segregated with respect to latent space reveals that the first principal component (PC1) is predominantly influenced by the stellar age distribution, with an underlying age–metallicity degeneracy. Good agreement is found regarding star formation prescriptions but there is disagreement with active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback, that also affects the subset of quiescent galaxies. We show a substantial difference in the implementation of the AGN subgrid prescriptions, regarding central black hole seeding, that could lead to the mismatch. Differences are manifest between these two simulations in the star formation histories stacked with respect to latent space. We emphasize that this methodology only relies on the spectral covariance to assess whether simulations provide a true representation of galaxy formation.

Sharbaf, Z. (ORCID:0009000450545946)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Observable CMB B -modes from cosmological phase transitions

A B -mode polarization signal in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is widely regarded as smoking gun evidence for gravitational waves produced during inflation. Here, we demonstrate that tensor perturbations sourced during noninflationary epochs can yield non-negligible B -mode signals, which can in principle complicate the interpretation of future observational data. As a case study, we consider tensor perturbations sourced in the bubble collision stage of a first-order cosmological phase transition occurring in a secluded dark sector. Although phase transitions arise from causal subhorizon physics, they nevertheless exhibit a white noise power spectrum on superhorizon scales. Power is suppressed on the large scales relevant for CMB B -mode polarization, but it is not necessarily negligible. We show that for appropriately chosen phase transition parameters, the maximal B -mode amplitude can compete with inflationary predictions that can be tested with current and future experiments. These scenarios can be differentiated by performing measurements on multiple angular scales, since the phase transition signal predicts peak power on smaller scales.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Constraining cosmology with the CMB × line intensity mapping-nulling convergence

Lensing reconstruction maps from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) provide direct observations of the matter distribution of the universe without the use of a biased tracer. Such maps, however, constitute projected observables along the line of sight that are dominated by their low-redshift contributions. To cleanly access high-redshift information, Maniyar et al., [Phys. Rev. D 105, 083509 (2022)] showed that a linear combination of lensing maps from both CMB and line intensity mapping (LIM) observations can exactly null the low-redshift contribution to CMB lensing convergence. In this paper we explore the scientific returns of this nulling technique. Here, we show that LIM-nulling estimators can place constraints on standard Λ⁢CDM plus neutrino mass parameters that are competitive with traditional CMB lensing. Additionally, we demonstrate that as a clean probe of the high-redshift universe, LIM nulling can be used for model-independent tests of cosmology beyond Λ⁢CDM and as a probe of the high-redshift matter power spectrum.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cosmology and terrestrial signals of sexaquark dark matter

We investigate the hypothesis that sexaquarks, hypothetical stable six-quark states, could be a significant component of the dark matter. We expand on previous studies of sexaquark cosmology, accounting for the possibility that some relevant interaction cross sections might be strongly suppressed below expectations based on dimensional analysis. We update direct-detection constraints on stable sexaquarks comprising a subdominant fraction of the dark matter, as well as limits on the annihilation of an antisexaquark component from Super-Kamiokande. We argue that the scenario where sexaquarks comprise a O ( 1 ) fraction of the dark matter would require either a suppression of O ( 10 − 19 ) in sexaquark interactions with baryons, combined with a very high yield of net sexaquark number from the quark-hadron transition, or else a very strong suppression of the cross section for antisexaquark annihilation on nucleons ( 24 + orders of magnitude below the QCD scale). Independently, we find that a sexaquark component comprising more than O ( 10 − 3 ) of the dark matter can be excluded from direct-detection bounds, unless its scattering cross section is severely suppressed compared to the expected scale of strong and even electromagnetic interactions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Masses of Sunyaev-Zel’dovich galaxy clusters detected by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Stacked lensing measurements with Subaru HSC year 3 data

We present a stacked lensing analysis of 96 galaxy clusters selected by the thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect in maps of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We select foreground galaxy clusters with a 5 σ -level SZ threshold in CMB observations from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, while we define background source galaxies for the lensing analysis with secure photometric redshift cuts in Year 3 data of the Subaru Hyper Suprime Cam survey. We detect the stacked lensing signal in the range of 0.1 < R [ h - 1 Mpc ] < 100 in each of three cluster redshift bins, 0.092 < z ≤ 0.445 , 0.445 < z ≤ 0.695 , and 0.695 < z ≤ 1.180 , with 32 galaxy clusters in each bin. The cumulative signal-to-noise ratios of the lensing signal are 14.6, 12.0, and 6.6, respectively. Using a halo-based forward model, we then constrain statistical relationships between the mass inferred from the SZ observation (i.e. SZ mass) and the total mass derived from our stacked lensing measurements. At the average SZ mass in the cluster sample ( 2.1 - 2.4 × 10 14 h - 1 M ⊙ ), our likelihood analysis shows that the average total mass differs from the SZ counterpart by a factor of 1.3 ± 0.2 , 1.6 ± 0.2 , and 1.6 ± 0.3 (68%) in the aforementioned redshift ranges, respectively. Our limits are consistent with previous lensing measurements, and we find that the cluster modeling choices can introduce a 1 σ -level difference in our parameter inferences.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Topological contribution to the Bogoliubov coefficient for cosmological particle production

Particle production in cosmology is often efficiently computed in terms of Bogoliubov transforms. Restricting to a particular class of dispersion relationships, we identify a map between the number of particles produced in a special kinematic limit and a Stokes phenomena related topology of analytic continuation of the Bogoliubov coefficient functions. Intuitively, this kinematic limit corresponds to the long wavelength limit although a more precise description depends on the nature of the curved spacetime. To identify the topology, we reformulate the usual Bogoliubov computations as a type of SU(1, 1) gauged differential equation and utilize a special gauge together with a discrete symmetry that naturally characterizes the dispersion relationship. Using a dark matter model and a nonzero constant spatial curvature model, we estimate how such topological contributions will arise in physical applications. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Chung, Daniel J. H. (ORCID:0000000343998504)↗